Time
by Neko Phoenix Girl
Summary: *Alternate Universe* Roxas ponders on what will happen with his and Axel's relationship when their time ends.


**Here's a little one-shot, which was written for my creative writing elective. Surprisingly enough, my teacher liked it. I just needed a little AkuRoku moment to keep me from going crazy. It's not much, but I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

** Time**

The seasons are changing. Time seems to stop. Campus is quiet, and few people walk around this early in the morning. I watch as the last leaf on a nearby tree floats down to the ground. Oh well. There goes my last hope of escaping winter.

As I walk down the Old Main lawn, I can't help but hide my face in my scarf. The wind is picking up and I swear it just got twenty degrees colder. Next to me, my boyfriend is shaking in his high-top green Chucks, cackling at my chattering teeth. I narrow my eyes at him and he glances at me with an apologetic smile. Yeah, right. Like I'd fall for that one.

With a huff, I pop on my earphones, pull my hood over my head, stick my frozen hands in my hoodie's pocket, and stalk off towards the Electrical Engineering East Building. Axel frantically calls for me to wait, saying that he was sorry and promising he would warm me up. As tempting as that last tidbit sounds, I ignore him. It's 9:05. I'm kinda late for class.

"Roxas, wait up!"

I sigh. "Fine… just get your ass over here and make yourself useful, dammit."

Happy for a chance to redeem himself, Axel peels off his top layer, a thick green bomber jacket and a beanie, which seconds later end up on me. He then grabs one of my hands and sticks it into the pocket of his black The Used hoodie. That feels a bit better

But still… cold… cold… so damn fucking cold! I groan as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' _False Pretense _blares in my ears for the umpteenth time this week. Whatever made me decide to come study in Bumblefuck, PA, anyway? I should have stayed in San Diego.

Yes, I, Roxas Bailey, am a Cali boy. My boyfriend always makes fun of me, saying that I should work as a model for the Abercrombie store downtown. I merely stick my tongue out at him. Behind this sun-kissed Cali surfer physique, ocean-blue eyes and unruly blonde hair (wink wink) lies a true blue nerd. Hahaha. That's right. I'm a (prospective) engineer, (and PROUD OF IT!) and I just so happen to go to one of the top engineering colleges in the nation. Go figure. Doesn't help the fact that I'm currently freezing my ass off. Oh look, I'm finally at EES. A glance at my iPod clock makes me realize that, shit, I'm really late.

I rush inside the building, waving goodbye to Axel, who sulks at not getting as much as a goodbye kiss. I guess I'll have to make it up to him later. I clamber up the stairs and dash into the classroom, just before Myo starts the first mechanics problem on the board. The Chinese TA just shrugs at me and keeps on writing. I warily eye the pile of colored paper packets sitting on his table. Oi… looks like we get our tests back today… I do NOT wanna see what I got… I remember I came out from The Forum battered and defeated that night, with Thanksgiving break as my only opportunity to heal my pride and my much abused brain.

With a quick apology, I maneuver my way to the middle of the classroom and sit next to Jeff "Leppard" Vhalen, acoustic engineer and future rock star extraordinaire. Even though we're not the same engineering flavor, punk-ass Jeff is still in all my classes. I guess it's a good thing we get along so well.

"So, man, what you think you got in the test?"

I groan and roll my eyes. "I don't wanna talk about it."

He nods and we both turn to face Myo, who has drawn a complex-looking arched figure divided by centric lines on the board, and he's asking us to find the center of gravity and the x-axis centroid of said object. I banged my head against the desk in frustration. Good thing I aced Calc 3 last semester, because this is gonna take a helluva lot of integrals. What a day…

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"I can't believe you got 101 on your mechanics test. Damn, Rox! What a nerd!"

I playfully punch Axel on the arm and turn to enjoy the view from the clock tower in Old Main. State College is getting ready for the festivities. The mammoth Christmas tree is up, and sparkling strings of light adorn the streets.

I still wonder how Axel manages to get us up here every night.

I rest my chin on his shoulder. He thumbs my hand gently. Time stands still.

"Our time is almost over, Rox." He refers to the semester, which was almost gone. Finals crept around the corner. For me, Christmas Break would soon start. For Axel, however, it meant going out into the real world. He was graduating with his B.A. in Architecture two days before I left for home. "We'll hardly see each other."

That was true. We would belong to two different worlds now. Axel was about to become a professional, and he already had a secured job designing skyscrapers in New York. I would enter my 2nd semester as a sophomore, and hopefully be officially declared as a nuclear engineer.

I know we both feared. Axel was good-looking and charismatic, with his playful green eyes and flirty smirk, and I was no slouch, either. I fear that he might meet someone older, though, more mature and sophisticated than I was. Never, he says. That is impossible.

Axel, who still thinks I'm too good for him, fears losing me to someone younger and not quite as "out there" and rebellious as himself. I can assure you that will never happen.

We've already been through so much. We've risked the acceptance of our parents, and the trust of our friends. We've braved ridicule and abuse, and we've stuck together through good times and bad. We won't throw that away. We will grow and stay strong for one another. That's just the way we are. This isn't the end. This is only the beginning. We will finally be free.

"Our time is not over, Ax," I whisper, my lips almost on his own. "Our time has barely begun."

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**Happy Holidays, and good luck to anyone who has finals... :-)**

**Current mood: heartbroken **


End file.
